Election Day - Feb. 13

Five Women Running on SAD ticket
By Gurpreet Singh

MANDI GOBINDGARH [Jan. 24] - Former Ropar member parliament and Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Amloh reserve constituency, Satwinder Kaur, said that although SAD had strongly recommended that one-third of party tickets be reserved for women, only five were interested in running in the Punjab assembly elections.

During seat sharing adjustments made with the BJP, SAD had fielded candidates in more than 90 of the 117 assembly constituencies.

SAD fielded - Satwant Kaur from Chamkaur Sahib constituency of district Ropar; Satwinder Kaur from Amloh constituency of district Fatehgarh Sahib; Jagir Kaur from Bhulath and Upinderjit Kaur from Sultanpur Lodhi, both constituencies of district Kapurthala; Mohinder Kaur from Sham Chorasi constituency of district Hoshiarpur.

Satwinder Kaur, who was addressing a news conference, highlighted her achievements as the Ropar member of parliament and also highlighted the achievements of her party. She also assured overall development of the area if elected.

When asked how she would compete against the Congress candidate, Sadhu Singh, who has been campaigning for the last couple of months while she began her campaign late, Satwinder Kaur said that her influence on voters of this area was same as in the Amloh constituency, which falls under the Ropar parliament constituency.

Khanna Voting Record
By Gurpreet Singh

[Jan. 22]

SAD Sour Grapes and Amnesia on DSGMC Elections
By Gurpreet Singh

SIRHIND [Jan. 18] – Even after sending Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee President Avtar Singh to New Delhi for the last two months to campaign for the Shiromani Akali Dal in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections, SAD lost to the incumbent, Paramjit Singh.

Reacting to the defeat, SAD President Parkash Singh said that SAD (Delhi), led by Paramjit Singh, was re-elected only because of support from the Congress party. He did not mention that he had supported former DSGMC president Prahalad Singh, who has a controversial Congress bakground, in this election.

Parkash Singh was in Sirhind yesterday to persuade senior Akali leaders Kirpal Singh and Ranjit Singh, who were strong contenders of the party ticket from the Sirhind constituency, to support the party’s official candidate Didar Singh.

There was show of strength as Kirpal Singh’s Sirhind residence. Talking to select media persons, Parkash Singh alleged that with the Punjab Assembly elections round the corner, Congress had not announced a candidate for the chief minister post because of a rift in the party. He said that because “Congress is a divided house,” the SAD - Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is in a position to win almost all assembly seats.

Bairagi Mahan Mandal Punjab demands to field Bawa
By Gurpreet Singh

FATEHGARH SAHIB [Jan. 10] - Bairagi Mahan Mandal Punjab has demanded that the Congress high
command allot a ticket to Krishen Kumar Bawa. A meeting was held today held under the presidentship of Jagpal Bawa. Talking to media persons, Jagpal said that there are approximately 10 lakh Baragi voters in all of Punjab's constituencies, and they are resentful of the indifferent attitude of past governments. He appealed the party high command to allot a ticket to Krisen Kumar Bawa, who is also state president of the Mandal.

SAD Sacks Makhan Singh
By Gurpreet Singh

FATEHGARH SAHIB [Jan. 10] - Supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Bazigar Cell) Chairman Makhan Singh, who was denied the SAD ticket from the Amloh reserve constituency of district Fatehgarh Sahib, protested the party’s decision to allot the ticket to former Member of Parliament Satwinder Kaur. Makhan Singh said by phone that if the party high command does not change its decision, he would run as an independent candidate.

Supporters of Makhan Singh assembled in large numbers today at his Sardar Nager residence to protest the party’s decision. Some supporters of senior Akali leader and Former Finance Minister, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, also joined the protest. They blocked traffic on G.T. road and burnt the effigy of senior Akali leader, Balwinder Singh, who strongly recommended Kaur.

In a phone interview, Satinder Kaur she said she was running as the candidate from Amloh as directed by her party. “Now it is the duty of party workers to follow the directions in a disciplined way,” she said. She appealed to Akali workers to support her to defeat the Congress candidate to form next government of Punjab.

Former municipal council, Mandi Gobindgarh president and senior Akali leader, Sukhwinder Singh, justified the decision of the party. “SAD is working under the able guidance of Parkash Singh and the youth Akali leader Sukhbir Singh, and it is the duty of the party leaders to accept the candidate field by the party’s high command,” he said.

Sukhwinger Singh said that he had talked to former Akali minister Dalip Singh and other Akali leaders - Harnek Singh, Harpal Singh Nasrali and Inder Singh - who were contenders for the SAD ticket, and all of them decided to support the party's official candidate. Parkash Singh had already declared that he would not change any of the candidates announced by the party.

Makhan Singh supporters told the media that Parkash Singh had called Makhan Singh 11 months ago and told him to be ready to contest the election from Amloh, but then changed his mind. Senior Akali leader Capt. Kanwaljit Singh had also recommended Makhan Singh’s candidacy, the supporters said, but even the senior Akali leader’s recommendation was ignored to appease Balwinder Singh.

Makhan Singh’s supporters said they would not allow Kaur to campaign in the constituency. They said that they would occupy all SAD poll offices. They also demanded a social boycott of Kaur. Senior Akali leaders - Hari Singh, Karamjit Singh, Tejinder Singh, former SGPC member Jassa Singh, Kesar Singh and Navtej Singh - were also at the protest.

SAD Factions Merge
By Gagan Deep Singh

CHANDIGARH [Jan. 3] – After more than a two-year split, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Harchand Singh) merged Wednesday into the Shiromani Akali Dal (Parkash Singh), the largest of the SAD factions. The announcement was made at a joint press conference the the presidents of each party, Prem Singh and Parkash Singh, respectively.

Parkash Singh and his son, Sukhbir Singh, welcomed Prem Singh into SAD and assured due respect and recognition. Prem Singh said that he had merged his party unconditionally and he was happy to return to the mainstream. “The main goal of both parties is to defeat Congress,” he said. Sukhbir Singh gave a ladoo to Prem Singh and shared lighter moments.

Parkash Singh appealed to other factions of the Akalis to also merge “in the larger interests of Punjab.” He said that he had asked Prem Singh to contest the Lehragaga seat against Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur. He also said that Baldev Singh was offered the Dirba seat in Sangrur district.

Prem Singh said that he was forced to leave SAD more than two years ago, but now Parkash Singh had invited him back. He said he was “home again.” When asked about his criticism against Parkash Singh in the past, Parkash Singh interrupted and said, "Everything is fair in love and war.” The comments triggered laughter at the press conference.

Baldev Singh, former minister and senior leader of SAD (Harchand Singh) also joined the press conference. But senior party leaders such as Sukhdev Singh and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh were conspicuous by their absence. Karnail Singh, an associate of Prem Singh, also did not show up.

Pictures by Gurpreet Singh, SikhNN, Punjab.
gsingh@sikhnn.com